CHAPTER II. CONTINUATION OF MR. WESLEY'S MISSION TO AMERICA. LEAVING Mr. Charles Wesley safe in his native land, we shall now proceed to his brother Mr. John Wesley. On the 18th of March, 1736, he wrote to his mother as follows; "I doubt not but you are already informed of the many blessings which God gave us in our passage; as my brother Wesley must, before now, have received a particular account of the circumstances of our voyage; which he would not fail to transmit to you by the first opportunity. "We are likely to stay here some months. The place is pleasant beyond imagination; and, by all I can learn, exceeding healthful, even in summer, for those who are not intemperate. It has pleased God that I have not had a moment's illness of any kind since I set my foot upon the Continent: nor do I know any more than one of my seven hundred parishioners, who is sick at this time. Many of them indeed, are, I believe, very angry already for a gentleman, no longer ago than last night, made a ball; but the public prayers happening to begin about the same time, the church was full, and the ball-room so empty that the entertainment could not go forward. : "I should be heartily glad, if any poor and religious men or women of Epworth, or Wroote, would come over to me. And so would Mr. Oglethorpe too: He would give them land enough, and provisions gratis, till they could live on the produce of it. I was fully determined to have wrote to my dear Emmy to-day; but time will not permit. O hope ye still in God! for ye shall yet give him thanks, who is the help of your countenance, and your God! Renounce the world; deny yourselves; bear your cross with Christ, and reign with him! My brother Hooper too, has a constant place in our prayers. May the good God give him the same zeal for holiness which he has given to a young gentleman of Rotterdam, who was with me last night. Pray for us, and especially for, dear Mother, "Your dutiful and affectionate Son, "JOHN WESLEY." Mr. Wesley being now informed of the opposition which his brother Charles met with at Frederica, on the 22d of March, 1736, wrote to him the following letter,-" How different are the ways wherein we are led, yet I hope towards the same end! I have hitherto no opposition at all all is smooth, and fair, and promising. Many seem to be awakened: all are full of respect and commendation. We cannot see any cloud gathering. But this calm cannot last; storms must come hither too and let them come, when we are ready to meet them. : "It is strange so many of our friends should still trust in God! I hope indeed, that, whoever may turn to the world, Mr. Tackner and Betty, with Mr. Hird's family, and Mr. Burk, will zealously aim at the prize of their high calling. These especially I exhort, by the mercies of God, that they be not weary of well-doing, but that they labour more * His eldest sister Emilia. and more to be meek and lowly, and daily to advance in the knowledge and love of God. I hope too Mr. Weston, Mr. Moore, Mr. Allen, and Mr. White, as well as Mr. Ward and his wife, continue in the same wise resolutions. I must not forget Mr. Reed, and Mr. Daubry, both of whom I left fully determined to shake off every weight, and with all their might to pursue the one thing needful. "Conciones omnes meas jamnunc habes, præter istas quas misi. Aliquæ in pyxide sunt (de quâ ne verbum scribis) unà cum bibliis in quarto. Liber de disciplina, quam celerrime potes, remittendus est. Quanta est concordia fratrum: Tui volo et fratris B.? You have now all my Sermons, besides those which I have sent. Some are in the box (of which you say not a word,) together with the Bible in quarto. The book on discipline must be sent back as soon as possible. How great is the concord of brethren! I mean of thee and brother B.' “ You are not, I think at liberty, ςρέφεσθαι εις τα έθνη, έως οι συμφυλεται σε απώθησε σε —to turn to the Gentiles, till your own countrymen shall cast you out. If that period come soon, so much the better: only, in the mean while, reprove and exhort with all authority, even though all men should despise thee. Αποβησίαισοι εις μαρτύριον, • It shall turn to thee for a testimony.'* "I conjure you, spare no time, no address or pains, to learn the true cause της παλαι οδύνης της φιλης με, ' of the former distress of my friend.' I much doubt you are in the right. My yevoilo iva stw Taλiv αμαρτάνη. Γρηγορεί φύλασσε, ως μαλιζω δυνη. Γράφε μοι, πως με δεη γραφειν προς αυτήν. 'God forbid, that she should again, in like manner, miss the mark. Watch over her; keep her, as much as possible. Write to me, how I ought to write to her.' "If Mr. Ingham were here, I would try to see you. But omit no opportunity of writing. Kivduveuw Tadav wpav. 'I stand in jeopardy every hour. Let us be strong and very courageous; for the Lord our God is with us: and there is no counsel or might against him!'” Mr. Charles Wesley took the hint his brother gave him, and on the 28th, sent Mr. Ingham to Savannah. April 4th, Mr. Wesley set out for Frederica, in a pettiawga, a sort of flat-bottomed barge, and the following evening they anchored near Skidoway island, where the water at flood was twelve or fourteen feet deep. Mr. Wesley wrapped himself up in a large cloak, and laid down on the quarter-deck: but in the course of the night he rolled out of his cloak, and fell into the sea, so fast asleep that he knew not where he was, till his mouth was full of water. He swam round to a boat, and got out without any more injury than that of wetting his clothes. This instance gives us a lively view of his fortitude and presence of mind in the midst of surprise and danger. Mr. Wesley left Frederica, and arrived again at Savannah on the 20th. The next day he wrote to his brother; and, among other things, observes, "I still extremely pity poor Mrs. Hawkins: but what can I do more, till God show me who it is that continually exasperates her against me? Then I may perhaps be of some service to her. There is surely some one who does not play us fair: But I marvel not at the matter. He that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there is that is mightier than they. Yet a little while and God will declare who is sincere. *See the same phrase, Luke chap. xxi, 13. + See a similar construction of παλαι, 2 Pet. chap. i, 9. Tarry thou the Lord's leisure and be strong, and he shall comfort thy heart." On the same day he wrote to Mr. Oglethorpe, and told him, "Savannah never was so dear to me as now. I believe, knowing by whom I send, I may write as well as speak freely. I found so little either of the form or power of religion at Frederica, that I am sincerely glad I am removed from it. Surely, never was any place, no not London itself, freer from one vice, I mean hypocrisy. O curvæ in terris animæ, et cœlestium inanes !* Jesus Master, have mercy upon them!-There is none of those who did run well, whom I pity more than Mrs. Hawkins; her treating me in such a manner would indeed have little affected me, had my own interests only been concerned. I have been used to be betrayed, scorned, and insulted, by those I had most laboured to serve. But when I reflect on her condition, my heart bleeds for her.-Yet with Thee nothing is impossible! "With regard to one who ought to be dearer to me than her, I cannot but say, that the more I think of it the more convinced I am, that no one, without a virtual renouncing of the faith, can abstain from the public as well as the private worship of God. All the prayers usually read morning and evening, at Frederica and here, put together, do not last seven minutes. These cannot be termed long prayers: No Christian assembly ever used shorter: Neither have they any repetitions in them at all. If I did not speak thus plainly to you, which I fear no one else in England or America will do, I should by no means be worthy to call myself, Sir, Yours, &c, "JOHN WESLEY." There subsisted, at this time, a dispute between the gentlemen of Carolina and Georgia, respecting the right of trading with the Indians. The dispute was brought into Westminster Hall, and agitated on both sides with great animosity. Mr. Wesley on the 23d of July delivered his opinion on the subject in a letter to Mr. Hutcheson. He observes, "By what I have seen during my short stay here, I am convinced that I have long been under a great mistake, in thinking no circumstances could make it the duty of a Christian Priest to do any thing else but preach the Gospel. On the contrary, I am now satisfied, that there is a possible case wherein a part of his time ought to be employed in what less directly conduces to the glory of God, and peace and good will among men. And such a case, I believe, is that which now occurs; there being several things which cannot so effectually be done without me; and which, though not directly belonging to my ministry, yet are by consequence of the highest concern to the success of it. It is from this conviction that I have taken some pains to inquire into the great controversy now subsisting between Carolina and Georgia; and in examining and weighing the letters wrote, and the arguments urged, on both sides of the question. And I cannot but think that the whole affair might be clearly stated in a few words. A Charter was passed a few years since, establishing the bounds of this province, and empowering the trustees therein named to prepare laws, which, when ratified by the King *O grovelling souls, bent to the earth, and void of heavenly good! This was a broad hint, as Mr. Wesley used to say, to the General himself. 23 in Council, should be of force within those bounds. The trustees have prepared a law, which has been so ratified, for the regulation of the Indian trade, requiring that none should trade with the Indians who are within this province, till he is so licensed as therein specified. Notwithstanding this law, the governing part of Carolina have asserted both in conversation, in writing, and in the public newspapers, that it is lawful for any one not so licensed, to trade with the Creek, Cherokee, or Chicasaw Indians: They have passed an ordinance, not only asserting the same, but enacting that men and money shall be raised to support such traders; and in fact they have themselves licensed and sent up such traders both to the Creek and Chicasaw Indians. "This is the plain matter of fact: Now as to the matter of right, when twenty more reams of paper have been spent upon it, I cannot but think it must come to this short issue at last: 1. Are the Creeks, Cherokees, and Chicasaws, within the bounds of Georgia or no? 2. Is an Act of the King in Council, in pursuance of an Act of Parliament, of any force within these bounds, or not? That all other inquiries are absolutely foreign to the question, a very little consideration will show. As to the former of these, the Georgian Charter, compared with any map of these parts which I have ever seen, determines it: The latter I never heard made a question of, but in the neighbourhood of Carolina. "Mr. Johnson's brother has been with us some days. I have been twice in company with him at Mr. Oglethorpe's: and I hope there are in Carolina, though the present proceeding would almost make one doubt it, many such gentlemen as he seems to be: men of good nature, good manners, and understanding. I hope God will repay you sevenfold for the kindness you have shown to my poor mother, and in her to, Sir, "Your most obliged, most obedient servant, At the same time he wrote to Mr. Vernon on the same subject. "As short a time," says he, " as I have for writing, I could not pardon myself, if I did not spend some part of it in acknowledging the continuance of your goodness to my mother; which indeed neither she, nor I, can ever lose the sense of. "The behaviour of the people of Carolina finds much conversation for this place. I dare not say, whether they want honesty or logic most: It is plain, a very little of the latter, added to the former, would show how utterly foreign to the point in question all their voluminous defences are. Here is an Act of the King in Council, passed in pursuance of an Act of Parliament, forbidding unlicensed persons to trade with the Indians in Georgia. Nothing therefore can justify them in sending unlicensed traders to the Creek, Cherokee, and Chicasaw Indians, but the proving either that this Act is of no force, or that those Indians are not in Georgia. Why then are these questions so little considered by them, and others so largely discussed? I fear for a very plain, though not a very honest reason; that is, to puzzle the cause.* I sincerely wish you all * The words of the old poet may be recollected here "Bell, book, and candle, shall not drive me back, When gold and silver bid me to go on." Alter it to King, Council, Senate, shall not, &c. happiness in time and in eternity, and am, Sir, &c."-It appears from these letters, that his mother was partly supported by the trustees. Not finding any door open for the prosecution of the grand design which induced him to visit America, the conversion of the Indians,— he and Mr. Delamotte considered, in what manner they might be most useful to the little flock under their care. And they agreed, 1. To advise the most serious among them, to form themselves into a sort of little Society, and to meet once or twice a week, in order to improve, instruct, and exhort one another. 2. To select, out of these, a smaller number for a more intimate union with each other, which might be forwarded partly by their conversing singly with each, and partly by inviting them all together to their house; and this accordingly they determined to do every Sunday in the afternoon. Their general method of private instruction was as follows: Mr. Delamotte taught between thirty and forty children to read, write and cast accounts. Before school in the morning, and after school in the afternoon, he catechised the lowest class, and endeavoured to fix something of what was said in their understandings as well as in their memo In the evening he instructed the larger children. On Saturday in the afternoon Mr. Wesley catechised them all: The same he did on Sunday before the evening service. And in the church, immediately after the second lesson, a select number of them having repeated the catechism and being examined in some part of it, he endeavoured to explain at large, and to enforce that part, both on them and the congregation. Some time after the evening service, as many of the parishioners as desired it, met at Mr. Wesley's house, (as they did also on Wednesday evening,) and spent about an hour in prayer, singing, and mutual exhortation. A smaller number (mostly those who designed to communicate the next day) met there on Saturday evening; and a few of these came to him on the other evenings, and passed half an hour in the same employment. He had now another proof of the power of gospel faith. One of the Moravians being ill of a consumption, he informed Bishop Nitschman of it. "He will soon be well," said he, "he is ready for the Bridegroom." Calling to see him afterwards, and asking how he did, "My departure (said he) I hope is at hand." Mr. Wesley then asked, "Are you troubled at that?" He replied, "O no; to depart and to be with Christ, is far better. I desire no more of this bad world. My hope and my joy and my love are there." The next time he saw him, the poor man said, "I desire nothing more, than for God to forgive my many and great sins. I would be humble. I would be the humblest creature living. My heart is humble and broken for my sins. Tell me, teach me, what I shall do to please God. I would fain do whatever is his will." Mr. Wesley said, "It is his will, you should suffer." He answered, "Then I will suffer. I will gladly suffer whatever pleases Him." The next day, finding him weaker, he asked, "Do you still desire to die?" he said, "Yes; but I dare not pray for it, for I fear I should displease my heavenly Father. His will be done. Let Him work his will, in my life, or in my death." But concerning himself, Mr. Wesley observes, "This evening we had such a storm of thunder and lightning, as I never saw before even |